Growing computer networks are providing clients (also commonly referred to as “users”) with convenient access to unprecedented amounts of information. In particular, the Internet allows a client to contact a myriad of web sites that might contain a plurality of web pages, and links to other web pages. The web sites are created and maintained by content providers such as portals, merchants, corporations, agencies, and the like. While many sites are meant to be simply informative, a large number are oriented around some commercial venture. As a result, the intent of such a web site provider is to generate revenue.
Revenue might be generated as a result of the client buying certain products through the web site. The web site provider would then reap profits from the item sold, or be paid a certain amount for offering the item for sale. Other revenue generating schemes include auctions, wherein a web site provider offers goods for bidding, with the highest bidder ultimately purchasing the product. The web site provider then retains a portion of the selling price, or provides the bidding transaction for a fee.
In addition to the example revenue generating schemes described above, advertising is becoming a popular method of generating revenue. Advertising can be added to a web page that is already employing a revenue generation scheme, thereby further increasing any overall revenues. Advertising generally consists of banners or click-through areas (often called “thumbnails”) which are located in certain pre-defined areas of a web page. In order for an advertiser to have information appear on a web site or web page, they must generally pay a web site provider for a desired space. The rates paid are usually a function of the visual proximity of the advertisement space, as well as the number of times the ad will appear in that space (e.g. continuously, or periodically).
In many instances, advertising alone has proven to be enough of a revenue generating source so that an Internet connection product (i.e. hardware and/or software) can be offered to a client for free (or at a reduced rate). In exchange for the free product, the client will generally be subjected to certain advertising while using the product. For example, the company FreePC offers a free PC (personal computer) that will impose certain advertising in designated areas of the screen. The advertising changes over time via interaction with the FreePC web site and/or the Internet. However, a certain amount of advertising normally remains visible at all times. With the prices of PCs dropping dramatically, certain users might not wish to subject themselves to such additional advertising in exchange for a free computer. The user may also prefer not to sacrifice usable display screen areas, the areas being taken up by the advertising shown on the screen. Examples include a border around the operating system window, or the like.
Still another Internet connection product that has been offered for free (or reduced rates)—due to resultant advertising revenues—is the actual Internet connection service and related fee. Such fees vary, with a flat rate of approximately $20-22 per month being typical in the industry. For instance, a company called Netzero offers free Internet service if you use their particular Internet connection software. The typical mode of acquiring such software includes downloading it from the Netzero web site. When downloading any software from the Internet, security issues are a concern for the user. The downloaded software resides on the harddisk of the client machine and takes up valuable space. Additionally, the downloaded software might corrupt and destroy files if the download is infected with a virus. Yet another concern involves the general inconvenience of performing the downloading operation. Even at high modem rates, the software needed to perform the Netzero functionality requires more than 25 minutes to download. Still another concern involves the time-consuming, and often intrusive, registration process encountered by a user in order to download and maintain such software. Such inconveniences and concerns might dissuade a user from using the Netzero product, despite the promise of lowered (or waived) monthly access fees.
Accordingly, what is needed in the field is a method and apparatus for providing or injecting information, including advertisements and the like, back to a user's computer (or web browser) in response to a web server request. The approach should not require the user to download any software, or utilize any special hardware. Instead, the approach should be implemented at a point in the network connection that is independent of any particular user setup. The approach should also not impede the transport or speed of data packets being sent across a network connection, particularly if the device associated with the present solution is not functioning. A user might then use this approach through a standard Internet service provider ISP (or the like). The ISP might therefore offer reduced rates for service requests that such injected information associated with the responses to the web server requests.